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MAY 2018 PHOTO CONTEST #150 INTRO Thread – “Let There Be LIGHT!”

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    #16
    These are some that I took w my phone

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

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      #17
      Not taken in May, but it is one of my personal favorites.
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        #18
        And a double rainbow - all 4 ends are on my small piece of heaven.
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          #19
          And just for grins because I know this is not nearly the quality I see on the others.
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            #20
            Those are cool shots Dusty

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              #21
              Originally posted by sierracharlie338 View Post
              Man I suck after looking at these pictures!! I need more time to get some practice in. I might have a few I can add this evening when I get home.
              You and me both!


              Originally posted by Shane View Post
              That's the point of the contest, brother! Practice and learning. Go out and chase some light!
              So going to get out and try to get some pics... I will post a couple I have captured with my cell phone...

              What controls on a camera help adjust amount of light capture?? Let more light in or block some light out??

              Here is a pic os some trees with a bunch of icicles... Seeing the sun shine through them you could see light refracion that made the icicles look like Christmas lights but obviously my phone could not capture it.
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                #22
                Here is another: sun down over water... Again, this is on a cell phone but had this been taken with a camera what would you pros adjust to get a better pic??
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                  #23
                  Originally posted by Pedernal View Post
                  What controls on a camera help adjust amount of light capture?? Let more light in or block some light out??

                  Here is a pic os some trees with a bunch of icicles... Seeing the sun shine through them you could see light refracion that made the icicles look like Christmas lights but obviously my phone could not capture it.
                  There are 3 controls on a camera that affect how much light is captured. From a previous thread.....


                  The analogy that I use for the 3 main settings (ISO, shutter speed, and aperture) is this....

                  The aperture, designated by f/stop number, is similar to the pupil in your eye. The bigger the aperture/pupil, the more light comes in. The only thing that can be confusing is that lower f/stop numbers equate to bigger aperture openings. So f/22 is a really small opening that lets in only a tiny amount of light while f/2.8 is a really large aperture that lets in a lot of light. If you are shooting a scene in bright sunlight, then you can choose a small aperture setting (bigger f/stop number), because you have a lot of bright light to work with. If you are shooting a scene in dim light conditions, then you will probably need to set the f/stop to a low number so you'll have a big wide-open aperture to let in as much light as possible.

                  The other thing that aperture size will do for you, besides regulating the amount of light passing through the lens, is that it will vary the depth of field. Depth of field is the depth of what is in focus in your image. A tiny aperture opening will bring more things into focus. Things that are both near and far away, relative to whatever you focused the lens on when you take your shot can generally be more in focus with a smaller aperture. If you want to have a narrow depth of field so that only your subject is in focus while everything else is blurred out, then you need to use a larger aperture (low f/stop number).

                  Next we get to the 2nd setting: shutter speed. The shutter is similar to your eyelid. The longer it stays open, the more light it lets in. If it opens and shuts really fast, then only a small amount of light gets in. If you are in bright light, then you'll likely need to use a faster shutter speed. If you are in low light, then you'll probably need to use a slower shutter speed.

                  Shutter speed variations do something else as well. If you want to freeze fast-moving objects, like stopping the action in sports photography, then you need a fast shutter speed. But if you want to show the blurred action of moving objects, then you need the shutter to be open for a longer time in order to pick up all the movement that you are after. Also, if you are holding your camera in your hand rather than using a tripod or something else to support the camera (and keep it still), your photos will likely be blurred from your hand movement if you use a shutter speed that is too slow.

                  The 3rd setting is ISO. A high ISO number (1600, 3200, 6400, etc...) is like your naked eye. It is very sensitive to light, and it picks up detail very easily. You may need to squint or open and shut your eyes really quickly when it is really bright.

                  A low ISO number is like your eye behind sunglasses. It makes your eye less sensitive to light, so you don't have to squint and you can leave your eyes open longer in bright light. But in dim light you may not be able to see very well, so you'd need to remove your sunglasses.

                  ISO also has another effect on the photo. Higher ISO numbers will make photos in low light situations brighter, but it comes with a price. Higher ISO settings cause the image to have more "noise" or grainy appearance.

                  Everything about choosing camera settings is a trade-off. You have 3 different settings that you could adjust to make an exposure brighter or darker, and each of the 3 have side-effects. Which side-effect do you want? Which one do you NOT want? Which one can you live with if you have to, even though you'd prefer not to have it?

                  I start with the side-effect that I want, and then I work from there. If I am shooting sports, then I definitely want to stop fast action. That means I must have a fast shutter speed. That costs me light, so if I am not shooting in bright sunlight then I have to open up my aperture and/or move to a higher ISO setting. I go to higher ISO as a last resort, because I want to minimize noise. But once you open up your aperture all the way, if you still need more light in order to get a good exposure with a fast shutter, then you have to start boosting ISO.

                  If I am shooting a portrait or something and I want only my subject to be in focus while everything in the background is blurred out, then I must shoot the shot with a large aperture (low f/stop). That lets in a lot of light, so if I have fairly bright light to begin with, then I will need to shoot a low ISO and/or a faster shutter speed to keep from over-exposing the shot.

                  For landscape shots, you typically want everything in the scene to be in focus, from the foreground close to your camera to the distant views on the horizon and the sky. For a wide depth of field where everything, or at least almost everything, will be in focus, you need to use a small aperture (higher f/stop number). That means you'll be letting in less light. Also, if you're wanting a really sharp image, you need to use the lowest ISO setting you can so that you don't introduce noise into your photo. Lower ISOs mean less light as well. So, that means that you have to use a slower shutter speed setting so that your camera's sensor will have enough time to gather enough light for a good exposure. If you're shooting at sunset or in a shaded forest or on a really cloudy day when the light is relatively dim, you may need a shutter speed that is so slow that you can't keep the camera still during the capture. You'll need to use a tripod to rest the camera on so that it doesn't move while you're taking the shot.

                  There are always more than one combination of settings that will give you a proper exposure of light in a given situation. But the side-effects will vary, depending on which combination of settings you use. It's all about the trade-offs....

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                    #24
                    ^^^Thank you very much Shane!!^^^ this is exactly what I need to hear... Obviously every camera will vary in the effect that each adjustment will accomplish. I will start practicing by taking multiple pics with varying settings and study the results. Can you recommend a book for beginners?? Thanks again for taking time to share your knowledge.

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                      #25
                      Great info and great pics!

                      Question: Do you do much fine tuning on your photos after they are taken (adjusting contrast, brightness, saturation, etc ...)? How much is considered too much?
                      I really like some of the photo apps like Snapseed, but when I get done editing, the pic looks amazing, but not really anything like it looked originally. Thanks!

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                        #26
                        Originally posted by Pedernal View Post
                        ^^^Thank you very much Shane!!^^^ this is exactly what I need to hear... Obviously every camera will vary in the effect that each adjustment will accomplish. I will start practicing by taking multiple pics with varying settings and study the results. Can you recommend a book for beginners?? Thanks again for taking time to share your knowledge.
                        This is a good book: https://smile.amazon.com/Understandi...9DEDDMGZ8C2R4C

                        You're right that cameras and lenses have different capabilities. But the best cameras in the world can't create dramatic light when it doesn't exist in your scene. Being in the right place at the right time to experience and capture a special lighting situation is huge. You just can't do that any time you want to. That's one big reason it's fun. It's kind of like hunting.

                        Originally posted by Charrison View Post
                        Great info and great pics!

                        Question: Do you do much fine tuning on your photos after they are taken (adjusting contrast, brightness, saturation, etc ...)? How much is considered too much?
                        I really like some of the photo apps like Snapseed, but when I get done editing, the pic looks amazing, but not really anything like it looked originally. Thanks!
                        It definitely helps to process your photos. "Too much" or "not enough" is subjective and in the eye of the beholder. I like to try to end up with a realistic representation of what my eyes saw when I took the photo. Sometimes I'll add just a little extra emphasis on parts of the photo to make it look better (to me), but I try to avoid making it look obviously fake. Processing is a whole other aspect of it that also requires some trial and error experimentation, practice, and learning.

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                          #27
                          Streaks of light.


                          Pin fish PCB Inlet
                          by Chad Crawford, on Flickr

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                            #28
                            Nice shot, Chad.
                            Thanks, Shane.

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                              #29
                              Not my picture, but a picture a friend took of me this week.

                              Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

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                                #30
                                From Bastrop, TX a couple of weeks ago.
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